Tag Archives: iUniverse

The publisher, iUniverse, has published my book. They provided all the editorial and production service covered by my publishing agreement with them and they have been most satisfactory. I have blogged regularly, posting progress reports and reflections on the processes involved as they unfolded. Now books need to be sold in a highly competitive market. An audience for Through a Lens of Emptiness is out there for sure, but the target audience for a book is both ephemeral and elusive unless an author can reach out to it. This is a daunting task for a début author, so all the support he can get in this endeavour is welcome. Unless he is particularly well connected with individuals that know the ropes, purchasing useful services are essential.

I’ve tried to build a bit of a following on my own over the last two years through blogging and the twitter-sphere. I’ll discuss that experience in the next blog post. I provide the following reflections with an understanding that which supports an author purchases are determined by $$$ available and not the desire to purchase quality services. Please note, I never name the support services purchased nor the prices paid in that everyone’s choice in services and service level will vary. The only service I will name is Google Ads, since everyone who uses the Internet knows what they are and who supplies them already.

I was informed about marketing services available to me through a marketing representative from iUniverse. These services were carefully explained to me, all my questions were answered in full, and there was no pressure or push to purchase any of them. I had time to think over the possible offerings and made my choices in my own time. The information available on the publisher’s web site provides some information about what is on offer, but direct contact with a knowledgeable individual was essential.

Google Ads looked like the best bang for the buck. This service allows me to define my target audience by age, interest, la gauge, and geographic region. The initial agreement for these ads covers the first three months of marketing. This means that for three months, informing my target audience that Through a Lens of Emptiness is available for purchase will be assured because of SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

The second service selected purchases the services of an professional author publicity services to help me create a social media presence. This service is the more expensive of the two, but it is a pragmatic way of filling a big gap in my knowledge and experience. I have been finding my way through the nuance of using blogging and twitter to build an audience and establish a profile, but I still am wondering in the wilderness. Using Facebook to create an author well developed author page remains obscure. I look forward to the support I will receive and the knowledge to be gained from the experience.

The marketing ball is rolling and should gain momentum after I submit the extensive questionnaires that provide the necessary information for these service to move my marketing process along to the next stage.

In my next post I’ll reflect on my experiences with twitter and blogging.

Until my next post, as always your faithful blogger,

L Alan Weiss (Larry) – Author of Through a Lens of Emptiness , now available through Google Books, Amazon.com, and the iUniverse Book Store.

This blog strand focused on experiences and thoughts related to self-publishing and working with a specific publishing service provider. Those who have been following these posts know that until now, the ePublisher is never identified. Five days ago the book went live, which means that it is available for purchase either as an eBook or as a print on demand copy. The publisher can be identified now that the writing and production phase of my self-publishing project is completed. IUniverse provided the services and supports that enabled me to complete the project and bring Through a Lens of Emptiness: Reflections on Life, Longevity, and Contentment into being.

Of course, there are a number of companies that provide services to the self-publishing author. Each offers packages with various services included; the more services provided the greater the cost. The question for the would-be author is what level of service he requires to supplement the level of expertise he brings to the table. If the aspiring author is a novice in the writing and publishing field, then the more support one purchases the better. In my case, the package selected was the full meal deal.

I am not shilling for iUniverse in any way. Their services were selected based on the best information available from the iUniverse web site and from self-publishing forums. Some of the forum comments reflected less than satisfactory experiences, but squeaky wheels make the most noise, so I took them for what they said and nothing more. If you have been following this blog strand, the reader will know that my experience has been essentially positive from the beginning of my association with iUniverse in April 2012. I was determined to make the process work for me from the outset, take the advice given and act on it, and put in the sweat equity required to produce a publishable work. When the process began this a newly published author hadn’t a clue what was involved in terms of time and energy, but over time I discovered the magnitude of commitment required.

IUniverse provided contacts to support me from the very beginning of our relationship. In the beginning there were opportunities to discuss some of my ideas with individuals that were likely part of the marketing and sales staff. Their principle role seemed to revolve around informing me about additional services I might be interested in purchasing, but they were also willing to engage in extended conversations. When working with a company offering self-publishing services don’t be offended by these efforts at further monetizing the services on offer, after all that’s part of the business. No one ever twisted my arm to purchase any extra services. Listen carefully to what is on offer, one of those services might just be your cup of tea. The fact is, that in their efforts to interest you in other services you have a chance to discuss your ideas with a complete stranger, which is as useful as having conversations with people you know. Perhaps such conversations are even more useful than one might think, because whoever your target audience is, they are strangers too.

If a complete editing package is purchased, your work will be reviewed by editorial staff three times. My manuscript was reviewed by a developmental editor, a content editor, and a quality editor. The most useful editorial service was the DE (developmental edit). That’s when the author learns just how much work they still need to do. My own manuscript was full of faults, all of which were described in detail in an earlier post in this blog strand. If you are fortunate to have a good developmental editor go over your manuscript, make sure you read all their comments in detail. Those individual comments were essential in determining the scope and range of work required to get the writing process on track. In my case, the first draft required radical surgery, restructuring, and rewriting.

The other edits provided opportunity for further refinements, but by the second draft (66000 words of it), the final product had taken on its essential shape. In addition to editorial support, specialists in marketing, book production, and publicity were also on call to assist me in various stages of the process. If you do the research, and total the cost of all the services included in the most complete package iUniverse offers, an author attempting to locate and purchase a similar set of services on their own will spend at least as much money, if not more.

The other advantage to working with a company like iUniverse, or any of the other companies who offers services like these, is the sense of structure within one must work. Each specific phase of the process allows the author to target their energies, and focus on what needs to be done at any particular stage of the process. I still need to review the printer’s copy for defects in workmen ship, but the files submitted to me for approval suggest that the finished book will exceed my expectations. The same can be said for all the marketing materials, book launch materials, and an author web site that were included in the publishing package purchased.

My next blog post in this strand will reflect my reaction to the Printer’s proof copy and the actual materials included as marketing materials and book launch materials. So far, I can say with confidence, that every dollar spent has been worthwhile. This blog strand will continue as I work through the experience of marketing a book. When my author web site goes live, I’ll provide the link, but that will take about a week.

Until then, your faithful blogger,

L Alan Weiss – Author of Through a Lens of Emptiness, Reflections on Life, Longevity and Contentment which is now available through the iUniverse book store and Amazon.

Nota bene: The book will also be available through other supply channels as they come on stream. Some information still needs to be uploaded to these book stores including a book cover image and brief excerpt. Apparently it takes several days for a listing to take on its complete form. Thanks for understanding.